A hand-picked team from CO19, the Metropolitan Police's elite firearms unit, will walk the beat in gun crime hotspots where armed gangs have turned entire estates into "no go" zones.

Local politicians and anti-gun campaigners have reacted with anger at the news that the officers will carry Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns – capable of firing up to 800 rounds-per-minute – and Glock semi-automatic pistols

CO19 currently provides armed support in volatile situations like sieges and terrorist attacks, with its officers on constant call in vehicles around London.

But this is the first time that armed officers will be sent on permanent foot patrol anywhere in the country outside Northern Ireland.

"Historically, CO19 was only called out when someone rang up to report a gun crime," said Inspector Derek Carroll, head of the new unit.

"But a lot of streets in London have young people in postcode gangs, aged 14 and upwards, and a lot of communities feel that they are controlling areas of estates.

"We are looking at gangs that have access to firearms and will be robust in dealing with them and disrupting and deterring them."

The team of 18 constables, led by an inspector and two sergeants, will begin their patrols of Brixton, Haringey and Tottenham on Nov 9, following successful trial schemes.

The officers – some on motorbikes – will carrying out weapon "sweeps" of their neighbourhoods in an effort to deter gang members from carrying guns, and are also intended to be a reassuring presence for residents.

"My view is that just because you carry a gun, it should not affect the way you police," Inspector Carroll added. "We chat to people and they love it."

Unlike their counterparts in the United States, British police officers not routinely carry guns, although armed patrols are frequently deployed in the aftermath of shootings and to guard potential terrorist targets.

In October 2000 armed officers on the beat were temporarily introduced in Nottingham after a string of drug-related deaths.

Jennette Arnold, a Labour London Assembly member for northeast London constituency, said that the patrols threatened to tear up the contract between the community and the police.

"No one asked us or the people I represent if this was acceptable and when they do I shall tell them it isn't. It isn't acceptable to throw away the principle of policing by consent," she said.

Gill Marshall-Andrews, chairwoman of the Gun Control Network campaign group, described the routine arming of officers as a "very retrograde step" and warned that it could lead to higher levels of gun crime.

"This is likely to raise the stakes and encourage more criminals, especially young criminals, to arm themselves," she said.

"Gun crime in this country is very low by international standards and that's largely because there aren't many guns about. Arming police officers sends out all the wrong messages."

The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, has long campaigned against attempts to arm a larger section of the force, but said it had no objection to the new scheme.

Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the national federation, said that although majority of his members did not wish be to armed, forces must be free to respond to particular threats.

"The ethos will always be that the British police are unarmed, but we need officers to be able to use firearms when appropriate," he said. "My feeling is that the current balance is just about right."

The Home Office declined to comment, saying that the operational use of firearms was a matter for local forces.

Officers from CO19, formerly known as SO19, have been involved in a number of high-profile incidents in the capital, including the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell station in 2005.

Gun-related crime is on the increase in London with 1,736 gun crimes reported in London between April and September this year – up 17 per cent on 2008.

The problem of turf violence between drugs gangs was highlighted earlier this month with a spate of shootings in north London linked to two Turkish gangs, the Tottenham Boys and the Bombacilar.

Gill Marshall-Andrews, chairwoman of the Gun Control Network campaign group, described the routine arming of officers as a "very retrograde step" and warned that it could lead to higher levels of gun crime.

To be honest I don't think anyone has a clear way to tackle gun crime.

If police use guns, its inhumane and somehow will 'encourage gun crime' someone explain this to me. Gangs will start to import more guns to fight police maybe? Most gangs in Britain use modified air soft weapons, handguns mostly or WW1-WW2 service revolvers. Trading illegal weaponry can be very difficult for a country like Britain, one reason being is we are small and a island, its harder to bring things in from another country without bribery or cleverly smuggled because things are tightly monitored, owning a gun license is the most impossible thing you can do in Britain, limiting it more. You can't expect police officers to patrol areas were there are known gun threats, for these patrols they should be armed and ready to defend themselves and anyone else in danger; you want them to whack them with a baton or something? Oh I forgot, apparently that's 'police aggression'.

So in my personal opinion I think anti gun activists are just idiots who wouldn't even know how to handle these situations if they were ordered to handle them. Though we don't really need gun patrols as much because of the reasons stated above, what we do need is better raids and capturing illegal weapon- Oh wait, I forgot its against human rights to raid peoples homes.

The thing is Britain is not that violent to start giving officers guns, giving officers guns can be extremely risky business, guns should only be used if there are known threats in the area with weaponry, I wouldn't like to see officers walk around with handguns everyday.

More like gangs that do actually have access to weaponry, and have the cocky attitude like you have just shown to try and use them to prove their worth to the pack. I miss the days of old London gangsters, they did things with class.

Though we don't really need gun patrols as much because of the reasons stated above, what we do need is better raids and capturing illegal weapon- Oh wait, I forgot its against human rights to raid peoples homes.

I don't mind respecting other people's rights but if it's interfering with the law then it's fucking stupid.

I just find it funny since we've had it since God knows when, but it sounds eerily totalitarian when the British finally do it.

That is because America is considerably more violent than Britain, there is easier access to weaponry to the normal guy when in Britain there isn't. Brits play villains in Hollywood movies so it only makes sense, there is something sinister about us I guess.

That is because America is considerably more violent than Britain, there is easier access to weaponry to the normal guy when in Britain there isn't. Brits play villains in Hollywood movies so it only makes sense, there is something sinister about us I guess.

I got the creepy feeling that you can twist this to eventually say, "I'd rather have some bored government worker watching me at night then potentially getting raped." Or something similar.

This is how Totalitarian Governments are made, with comments like the one you just wrote.

I think you're taking it a bit overboard there. It's not a case of, "constant security, or none," there's a happy medium.

Plus, have you ever lived in the UK? Not a very nice place at night time... not very nice during the day either, but the night is especially bad. Bunch of neds try starting shit with you anytime you're within their line of fucking sight. If the police will scare them away then good riddance I say.

Plus, have you ever lived in the UK? Not a very nice place at night time... not very nice during the day either, but the night is especially bad. Bunch of neds try starting shit with you anytime you're within their line of fucking sight. If the police will scare them away then good riddance I say.

I always assumed that it was the States that was fucking horrible at night, and that England was relatively safe at night.

The thing is Britain is not that violent to start giving officers guns, giving officers guns can be extremely risky business, guns should only be used if there are known threats in the area with weaponry, I wouldn't like to see officers walk around with handguns everyday.

Really? I live in the US, and when I was in grade school, we occasionally had a county policeman in the building carrying a handgun. It wasn't like he was busting 8 year old thugs or anything. Like they would just sometimes walk into the building for whatever reason with a gun.